Daily GK Update - 21st August 2015

Minority Ministry Launches Online Application Management System (OAMS) for "Nai Roshni"

i. Dr. Najma Heptulla, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Launched Online Application Management System (OAMS) for Nai Roshni. Speaking on the occasion she said the system brings the scheme in to public domain and will facilitate transparency and quick delivery.

ii. The Ministry has developed an Online Application Management System (OAMS) for Nai Roshni scheme. The procedures involved and benefits of the system include:

• Submission of online application and generation of an application ID with date.
• Online screening of applications.
• Online receipt of documents.
• No loss of documents due to postal or human negligence.
• Curtailment of procedural delays.
• Minimized paper work.
• Time saving.
• The applicant can check the status of their applications with their ID.
• Online project approval, sanctions and release of funds.
• Online monitoring of projects.
• Reports on trained women, location of projects etc. available in public domain.

iii. The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements Nai Roshni a scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women since 2012-13, to empower and instill confidence in women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and intermediaries at all levels.

iv. The scheme is implemented through Non -Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Societies, Trust etc. The scheme provides one week training programmes followed by Handholding for one year. The training is provided on various Training modules cover issues relating to women viz. Leadership of Women through participation in decision making, Educational Programmes for women, Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of women, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Swachch Bharat, Life Skills and Advocacy for Social and Behavioural change.

Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

i. Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. He was administered the oath of office by President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

ii. Wickremesinghe, a lawmaker since 1977, had served the country as its Prime Minister on three occasions. He held the post from 1993-94, 2002-2004 and since January 2015.

iii. Apart from this, immediately after the swearing-in, the General Secretaries of the two main parties in the country, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in the parliament and form a National Government.

iv. Earlier on 18 August 2015, Wickremesinghe’s United National Party won 106 seats, seven short of a majority in the 225-member parliament. This agreement between the UNP and Sirisena’s SLFP will enable Wickremesighe to secure a majority in Parliament.

Himachal Pradesh Government launched RISHTA project

i. Himachal Pradesh Government on 20 August 2015 launched the Rajiv Gandhi Illuminating Scheme for Hill Town Advancement (RISHTA) project, an efficient smart LED based street lighting project. With this, Himachal Pradesh became the first state in North India to do so.

ii. The scheme is also known as Centralized Control and Monitoring System (CCMS) Smart Street Lighting Scheme for Urban Local bodies which implements LED based street lighting project. This project is being implemented by collaboration of state Urban Development Department and EESL.

iii. EESL (Energy Efficient Services Limited) is a joint venture company formed by four power sectors i.e. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).

iv. For this project, EESL will invest all the capital upfront for implementation of Project. Municipalities will pay back this investment to EESL over a period of 7 years from energy and cost savings that will accrue as a result of installation of energy efficient LED lights.

v. In this project, a total of 63484 street lights will be replaced with LEDs in all the Urban Local Bodies to achieve 45 to 55 percent energy savings. The total savings within a year in terms of operation and maintenance will be 6.5 crore rupees.

Government launched education loan portal for students seeking loans

i. On 20 August 2015, Government launched a web-based portal www.vidyalakshmi.co.in for the students seeking educational loans. In order to ensure that no student misses out on higher education due to lack of funds, finance minister in the Union Budget for 2015-16 had proposed to set a fully IT-based Student Financial Aid Authority.

ii. In line with this proposal this portal was launched with an aim to administer and monitor scholarship as well as educational loan schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram (PMVLK). The launch of this portal also aims to bring all banks providing educational loans under one roof.

iii. The portal has been developed and maintained by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (NSDL e-Gov) under the guidance of Ministry of Finance, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

iv. It is a first of its kind portal that provides access to information and makes application for educational loans provided by banks and also government scholarships under a single window.

v. The portal also has a provision to apply to multiple banks for educational loans and facility for banks to download students’ loan applications among others.

Narendra Modi-Barack Obama hotline becomes operational

i. The hotlines or secure lines of communication between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama and their national security advisers have recently become operational, though it has not been put to use during its short lifespan so far. 

ii. This is a secure line between two very very close partners so that they can exchange views at the heads of state level...exchange views and co-ordinate approaches to solving real problems, said the top White House official. 

iii. With this India becomes only the fourth country- after Russia, Great Britain and China - with which the US has a hotline. For India this is the first hotline at the level of head of state.

iv. The establishment of hotline or secure line of communication between leaders of the two largest democracies of the world is part of efforts of Obama and Modi to increase the frequency of level of communication and frequent discussion between them on key bilateral, regional and global issues. 

YouTube announces partnership with Whistling Woods to set up “YouTube Space” in Mumbai

i. Video sharing portal YouTube has announced to set up a new “YouTube Space” in Mumbai with Asia’s largest and most renowned film schools the Whistling Woods International (WWI). The ‘YouTube Space’ at WWI will provide production facility for YouTube video creators as well as the students of WWI where they can learn video production.

ii. This facility at WWI will be set up at Filmcity which is a major film and television production hub in Mumbai and is expected to open at end of the year. You Tube had launched first You Tube Space in 2012 the facility at Mumbai is the seventh other six are in Tokyo, Los Angeles, London, New York, Brazil, and recently launched in Berlin.

iii. At Mumbai facility the video creators can produce original digital video content right from the start of an idea through to filming, editing, and uploading to YouTube with the help cutting edge audio, visual, and editing equipments at the WWI. Both WWI and YouTube at this facility will also develop original courses to train the next generation of Indian filmmakers to succeed in digital and online media.

iv. To facilitate You Tube operations WWI has include content creation, audience development and monetisation in its degree and diploma programs. This new facility at WWI is set up by You Tube with an idea to support the incredible wave of creative Indian YouTube creator community.

Rajasthan Govt Join Hands With Future Group To Mordernise Public Distribution System

i. The Rajasthan government on Thursday entered into an agreement with Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd. (FCEL) to modernise the public distribution system (PDS) by providing multi-brand consumer goods at competitive prices to public through fair price shops.

ii. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje launched the initiative, “Annapurna Bhandar Yojna”, a public private partnership (PPP) scheme touted as the first of its kind in the country after Rajasthan State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation and FCEL signed an agreement at the chief minister’s office here.

iii. Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani said: “We are committed to take the benefits of modern retail through the fair prices shops to the common people of Rajasthan.”

iv. “Annapurna Bhandar Yojna would strengthen government’s effort in bringing about a positive change and bettering the daily lives of the people of Rajasthan,” Raje said in a statement, adding she hoped that this would become India’s biggest entrepreneurship drive with 5,000 FPS dealers turning into entrepreneurs.